When Thinner Means Sicker and Heavier Means Healthier

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Overview

Most of us think that longevity hinges on maintaining a normal Body Mass Index. But research conducted over the last decade hit the media in January with explosive news: Overweight and even moderately obese people with certain chronic diseases—from heart disease to cancer— often live longer and fare better than normalweight individuals with the same ailments.

In this groundbreaking book, Carl Lavie, MD, reveals the science behind the obesity paradox and shows us how to achieve maximum health rather than minimum weight. Lavie not only explains how extra fat provides additional fuel to help fight illness, he also argues that we’ve gotten so used to framing health issues in terms of obesity that we overlook other potential causes of disease. Picking up where the bestseller Fat Chance left off, The Obesity Paradox will change the conversation about fat—and what it means to be healthy.

Praise

“Everyone who struggles with weight should read this important book. Dr. Lavie presents the science to support the truth that being overweight and even moderately obese may correlate with better long-term health and greater longevity—if you stay fit by making good food choices and maintain sensible physical activity. The Obesity Paradox is a story that has not been told in such a clear, evidence-based way. It challenges conventional wisdom and is exciting to read.”—Andrew Weil, MD, author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health and Spontaneous Happiness

“Dr. Lavie brings clarity to compelling cutting-edge science, fully validating the desperately important role of modifiable lifestyle choices in rewriting your health destiny. The Obesity Paradox offers up yet another challenge to some of our most long-held but unfounded beliefs in the health arena, especially when it comes to body fat. And he reinforces an often overlooked ingredient to living a good long life despite weight: the value of fitness. The Obesity Paradox is a must read.”—David Perlmutter, MD, author of Grain Brain

“In a society preoccupied with thinness, objectivity about how our weight relates to our health is often lost, and subtleties overlooked. In The Obesity Paradox, Dr. Carl Lavie masterfully explores the relationship between body weight and health, giving us a balanced and uniquely illuminating perspective. If you want the whole truth and real understanding, lay down your preconceptions, and pick up The Obesity Paradox.”—David Katz, MD, author of Disease-Proof

“The Obesity Paradox is an important contribution to our understanding of one of the most interesting and unusual observations in medicine today. This book is highly recommended reading. ”—Joe Alpert, MD, Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Medicine